Identity is important to any aspiring football team and in 1884 the fledgling Gorton Association Football Club (the establishment of which was announced in October 1884, see below) chose to wear a distinctive kit consisting of black shirts with a white cross pattée emblazoned across the left breast (Note: many people incorrectly claim this kit was St Mark’s and it absolutely is not!). The smart new kit set the tone for what the players hoped would be a successful period in the club’s development and from the moment it was first worn in 1884 the club progressed and grew, becoming Ardwick in 1887, before re-launching as Manchester City in 1894. Subscribers can read more on this period below.
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